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Piece of Cake (TV)
Piece of Cake (TV) is a six part LWT miniseries based on the novel by Derek Robinson.Wikipedia entry Info Widely regarded as one of the very best television series produced in Britain about men at war, Piece of Cake follows the young Spitfire pilots of Hornet Squadron during the first year of World War Two Led by flamboyant new Squadron leader Rex, Hornet Squadron are dispatched to France - but what starts out as a grand adventure for the untested young pilots soon turns into a grim daily battle for survival. Cast *Squadron Leader Ramsey (Pilot. Commanding Officer. Killed 1939) – (Jack McKenzie) *Squadron Leader Rex (Pilot. Ramsey's successor. Killed 1940) – (Tim Woodward) *Flight Lieutenant Marriott (Engineering Officer. Killed 1940) – (Stephen MacKenna) *Flight Lieutenant 'Uncle' Kellaway (Adjutant) – (David Horovitch) *Flight Lieutenant (Later Squadron Leader) 'Fanny' Barton (Pilot and Flight Commander. Succeeded Rex as C.O. May 1940) – (Tom Burlinson) *Flying Officer 'Skull' Skelton (Intelligence Officer) – (Richard Hope) *Flying Officer 'Moggy' Cattermole (Pilot. Killed 1940) – (Neil Dudgeon) *Flying Officer 'Pip' Patterson (Pilot) – (George Anton) *Flying Officer 'Flip' Moran (Pilot and Flight Commander. Killed 1940) – (Gerard O'Hare) *Flying Officer 'Flash' Gordon (Pilot. Killed 1940) – (Nathaniel Parker) *Pilot Officer 'Fitz' Fitzgerald (Pilot. Killed 1940) – (Jeremy Northam) *Pilot Officer 'Sticky' Stickwell (Pilot. Killed 1940) – (Gordon Lovitt) *Pilot Officer 'Mother' Cox (Pilot. Wounded in Action 1940) – (Patrick Bailey) *Pilot Officer 'CH3' Hart (Replacement Pilot. U.S. Volunteer. – (Boyd Gaines) *Pilot Officer 'Dickie' Starr (Pilot. Killed 1939) – (Tom Radcliffe) *Pilot Officer 'Moke' Miller (Pilot. Killed 1940) – (Mark Womack) *Mary (Schoolteacher & wife to Fitz. Widowed 1940) - (Helena Michell) *Pilot Officer Trevelyan (Pilot. Killed 1940) - (Jason Calder) *Pilot Officer 'Dumbo' Dutton (Pilot. Killed 1940) - (Sam Miller) *Pilot Officer 'Boy' Lloyd (Pilot. Killed 1940) - (Timothy Lyn) *LAC Todd (Ground-Crew)- (Neil Clark) *LAC Gullet (Batman)- (John Bleasdale) *Medical Officer - (Richard Durden) *Henri - (Cafe Owner)- (Daniel Andre Pageon) Episodes September 1939 For full details, see Episode 1 *After a tragic start to their war, and the death of their old Squadron Leader, Hornet Squadron embarks for France. October 1939 For full details, see Episode 2 *As the boredom of the Phoney War sets in, The pilots fill their time with reckless deardevil stunts – and pay the price. December 1939 For full details, see Episode 3 *Hornet Squadron is elated when it achieves it’s first kill, but a full scale dogfight with Me 109’s quickly brings home the horrors of war. March 1940 For full details, see Episode 4 *Squadron morale is collapsing as casualties mount – and Squadron Leader Rex, pumped full of morphine, makes a fatal error of judgement… May 1940 For full details, see Episode 5 *The surviving members of Hornet Squadron return home to England, where tensions between the pilots rise to breaking point… August 1940 For full details, see Episode 6 *Hornet Squadron is plunged into the maelstrom of the Battle of Britian, and faces it’s greatest challenge… Differences between the miniseries and the novel There are a number of differences between the novel and the Miniseries. The most notable are listed here. =Use of NS Squadron Codes= During the early scenes of Episode 1, the various Spitfires wear Squadron Identification Codes NS, which, at the time Piece of Cake starts, had been allocated to 159 Squadron, a bomber unit that didn't actually come into existence until 2 January 1942Lake, Alan. Flying Units of the RAF. Airlife Publishing. 1999. The earliest known example of a Spitfire with NS codes is Mark IIB P8348 NS-Y, which had been donated by British and Friends Ex Japan, and was photographed with NS codes while searving with No. 52 Operational Training Unit at Aston Down, Gloucestershire. Notes =Sources= Category:Piece of Cake